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American Values - : Without The Express Written Permission of The Author
American Values - : Without The Express Written Permission of The Author
By Micheal McNaney
MARTINE
One hundred, in two crates, just
like you asked, in the numbers you
asked. AR’s, Glocks, Uzi. The whole
list… Area 7c is clear tomorrow night.
TINO
Sweet as rain brother. If we keep
this up, we’ll be set in no time.
MARTINE
It will be nice Bro. Tell Lucia and
the baby, Maria and I will be down to
visit in two weeks.
(CONTINUED)
PAGE 2
CONTINUED:
Tino and his driver drove all night. They round an alley
in a run down neighborhood and stop beside a gate where
PACO, a Mexican with an eye tattoo greets them gang
style. The truck is parked in the yard. Tino and his
driver disappear thru the back door of the house.
Another latin appears and helps Paco remove the trucks
contents to the garage.
JUAN
(Speaks in Spanish)
Its all there?
PACO
(Speaks in Spanish)
Yes, enough for the whole route to
Chicago.
Juan smiles and nods his head then looks around to the
others in the room. Smiles all around as Juan addresses
Tino. Paco leaves the room again with another door slam.
JUAN
(Speaking in Spanish)
Sit meho. Very good. Tomorrow we go.
Sooner the better, Eh?
TINO
(Speaking in English)
Like a clock Bro. But hey, next time
We gonna need a different cross. My
boy says US side been eye’n our spot.
Its gonna get hot there soon.
PAGE 3
JUAN
(Speaking in English)
Yeah I been hearin’ that. Some are
thinkin’ there’s noise from inside
TINO
Nah. Just how it works bro. You know
the second I see a problem the birds
are gonna eat.
JUAN
That’s right, me too bro. We gotta
keep it clean.
The door slams again with a bang as Paco comes into the
room again nodding at Juan. Juan motions to the same
door.
JUAN
Go ahead, Paco has your cheese in
back. Be careful leaving. Take care.
Tino gives his driver the high sign. The driver stays in
the corner smoking a joint with his gang friends. Tino
leaves the room.
FADE TO BLACK:
DOCTOR
Please, sit. How are you today?
PATIENT
I didn’t do anything! The nurse
wouldn’t..
DOCTOR
No, No. its not that. Do you
remember the talk we all had in
the lunch room last week?
PATIENT
What? Taking spoons. NO. I DIDN’T!
THEY ARE LYI...
DOCTOR
(interrupts)
No, no. When we mentioned that
Funding is being cut back and we may
need to consider transferring a few
tenants to outpatient status.
PATIENT
(stuttering)
M-m-me. I’m out?
DOCTOR
Yes, you. I just need to read these
to you and have you sign a few places
and we can have you out tomorrow. Ok?
DOCTOR
Ok then, I need to read this to
you. “You have been diagnosed with
Paranoid Schizophrenia and have been
prescribed…
DOCTOR
..now if you feel that you may be a
harm to yourself or others you need to
call this number here. Do you
understand all of this?
PATIENT
(Nodding shortly)
Yeah sure.
The doors of the facility open and the patient walks out
with a bag over his shoulder and down the walkway. We
see a sign revealing the institution as a Utah Mental
Hospital.
JUAN
(Speaking Spanish)
The birds will eat tonight
eh, Tino?
JUAN
(Speaking English)
We ready?
DAD
(In sign language)
You must jerk back quick when you
feel a tug.
SON
(Sign language)
Like this? YES! Got one!
Dad goes to the son with a net and helps land a fish.
They both are obviously happy.
Dad and son are walking next to the cornfield. Both are
carrying long guns
SON
(Sign language)
When will we see them?
DAD
(Sign language)
Pay attention in front of you.
They are up there.
DAD
(Sign Language)
Try up two clicks and left one.
DAD
(Sign Language)
This .22 magnum rifle your Grandpa
gave you is really the best to have
for hunting food at a little
distance. Good Shooting!
Dad gives his son a shoulder hug and they look at each
other with a satisfied aire.
SON
(Sign Language)
What story are you working on now?
DAD
(Sign language)
From last month when we were
prospecting gold in the Desert.
SON
(Sign Language)
That was fun. This last article you
wrote is short but the pictures are
real good.
DAD
(Sign Language)
Short or long they pay the bills.
MOTHER
Didn’t I tell you to get out and look
for work? How long are you going to
sit here and watch TV all Day?
MOTHER
(raising her voice)
Look at me dammit! You better get
going, that hospital crap isn’t gonna
cut it here. Mrs Ingles says she saw
you jumping all over the yard and
yelling this morning. She thinks you
were talking to yourself.
PAGE 9
PATIENT
That stupid Bitch don’t know nothin’
and you don’t know nothin’. There aint
nothin’ to do around here.
I got no car.
MOTHER
I told you “one month” and now its
three weeks…
PATIENT
Fuck Off!!
MOTHER
Its that “shit” isn’t it? You got
Money for that shit but none for
Food? I better not see that shit
around here! I better not….
PATIENT
Yeah, that’s what I’ll do.
PATIENT
You touch anything of mine and I’ll
fucking kill you. What I do aint…
MOTHER
(interrupting and
starting to cry)
That’s it then, you’re out of here!
You hear me? You wont threaten me.
Demented punk!
All I do is try to help..
MOTHER
(yelling)
You can go to your Fathers and see
how he likes it!
JUAN
(Smiling and Speaking
in English)
Two down, 8 more and we got 40 G’s
clear. It’s the dream Bro…it’s the
dream. We gotta do this alot.
The car pulls out of the local area, passing another car
driven by DANIEL. He drives to the same house where he
goes in and soon is back in his car and on the road
again. US-15
Dad and son are pulling their RV down the road. They are
smiling and enjoying vivid scenery. They pass a US
Highway 15 south road sign.
FATHER
(Talking furtively)
Get into town and be there on time.
You cant expect a job to find you.
FATHER
(Turning away and out
the door)
Alright, I’ll see you tonight.
DANIEL
Whoa! Dude, I haven’t seen you in a
while, where you been?
PATIENT
I just been at families up in Provo.
That shits old now so Im over at my
Dads. So you on?
DANIEL
Yeah, yeah, come in and sit. How
Much you lookin’ for?
The Patient comes inside and closes the door but doesn’t
sit.
PATIENT
Three bumps is good.
PATIENT
(Over and over with
changing tone)
Who’s got a cigarette?
PATIENT
Fuck! Don’t freak old man, I just want
a cigarette!
PATIENT
Hey, you got a cigarette?
SON
(Sign language)
What? I’m deaf. What’s the matter?
PATIENT
A cigarette I said. Lemme get one.
What, you stupid? Lemme get a cig,
I’ll get it back to ya tomorrow…
come on!
PATIENT
Yeah, you better, why don’t you say
something? You stupid?
SON
Im deaf. I dont talk but…
PATIENT
What a dumbass. Whatever. Get
outa my face dummy.
PATIENT
Hey, maybe I can get one later.
I’ll see ya. Thanks.
DAD
(Sign language)
I don’t have to tell you to stay far
away from that guy.
SON
(Sign language)
He just asked me for a cigarette
today and was mean and his face was
twitching. He was strange. I don’t
like him.
DAD
(Sign language)
Whatever his problem, we don’t want it,
so avoid him till we leave after
Christmas. You’re going to Seattle
tomorrow anyway so no big deal. Did you
clean the pistol yet? Part of shooting it is
cleaning it. Get on it!
PAGE 14
SON
(Sign language)
You going to play tonight?
DAD
(Sign language)
Yeah, down at the clubhouse after
dinner. The park is pretty full today
so I should make a hundred or so.
PATIENT
Hey hey hi hi hey…you smoke? You
got a cigarette I can get I just
need to wait till my dads gets…
He sees her startled look and reads the answer from her
face. She recoils.
CHRISTY
I, I, I don’t smo…
PATIENT
OF COURSE fucking not! All you
MOTHERFUCKERS…Lame ASS…Shit…
(CONTINUED)
PAGE 15
CONTINUED:
At the picnic table next to his RV, Dad has his laptop
open and notices everyone around as he taps away.
The “Drunk sisters” are sitting not 40 feet away
reminiscing and quarreling. Four twenty-somethings are
stoking a grill to his right and are intent on dinner
and the older gentleman puttering around his rig right
across the lane loves to wave.
Looking up, dad sees the patient at the end of the lane
walking his way. Then, abruptly getting his things
together, Dad goes inside.
PATIENT
HEY! Davin in there? Davin Home?
DAVIN!
Knocking harder.
Dad quickly moves to the door and opens it.
Staring shortly at the Patient.
DAD
Gavin isn’t here, he left this
morning on the bus to Seattle.
He will be back in two weeks.
PAGE 16
PATIENT
Oh..Ok.. Christmas huh? So then…
Hey, you got a cigarette I can get?
DAD
No, no I don’t smoke. Gavin will
be back then. Bye.
With a short motion, Dad closes the door and thinks for
a second. The Patient is irate. He smacks Dads RV hard
as he leaves and yells. He hears the Patient storm off
and start to harass others nearby.
PATIENT
FUCK! What are you looking at!!..
OPERATOR
911 Whats your Emergency?
DAD
Hello, yes, hi, Im at….
PATIENT
FUCK! What are you looking at!!..
(CONTINUED)
PAGE 17
CONTINUED:
DAD
(Thinking to himself
in narrative)
What in the hell is his problem…
DAD
What are you doing!!
The gun explodes again and Dads right arm is torn apart
at the elbow.
The patient yells
PATIENT
Aaah… Devil!
The gun racks again. Dad rolls to avoid all but the
spray of the next shot then tries to stand. Looking in
the direction of his pistol, he hears the gun rack again
and dives onto the dinette to have the fourth shot tear
pieces of his clothing off his body.
Dad is lying on the dinette, and in the millisecond
before the next shot, thought the next was surely the
kill shot.
Dads mind yells.
(CONTINUED)
PAGE 18
CONTINUED:
DAD
(Narrarating to himself)
JUMP TO YOUR GUN !!!
DAD
(narrating)
Things seemed clear and concise. I
noticed he was standing in the same
place he started but this time when
our eyes met, mine were failing steel
and his were wide as saucers.
Dad
(narrating)
I had such a clean bead on his
head as he leaped and I pulled the
trigger and felt myself falling to
the floor listless.
DAD
Why did he do this..
Help Me…..Help
Call 911…….Help…………Why did………………….
THE END